Jan. 8, 2024: Trustee Approval of New Housing Construction

Dear Bucknellians,

As President Bravman shared in his fall 2023 Board of Trustees meeting summary, the trustees in October discussed the pressing need to address our shortage of campus housing, and agreed to continue these important conversations following the conclusion of the formal sessions. Informed by these deliberations, the Board approved the construction of a new residence hall. I write to provide additional information and context for this vote, which took place in December via electronic ballot.

In recent years the University has experienced increased enrollment, improved retention and a decline in study-abroad participation — a combination of factors that has pushed campus housing to maximum capacity, as evidenced by our continued reliance on the Comfort Inn & Suites. To help meet our strategic plan goal of providing students with the best possible residential experience, as well as our promise to provide campus housing to all undergraduates, we opened two new residence halls at Bucknell West in August, with two more under construction and scheduled to open in fall 2024.

We recognize, however, that this is still not enough to meet demand. In response, the Board approved construction of a fifth Bucknell West residential building with 94 beds, which will open in fall 2025. These five buildings will give us an additional 104 beds at Bucknell West. This project will be funded by $13 million in tax-exempt revenue bonds, combined with approximately $12 million in unrestricted surplus funds from FY2022 and FY2023.

While this will increase available housing in the short term, it is important to note that it is only the next step in Bucknell's ongoing commitment to expand and enhance residential facilities. We will begin to create a decade-long implementation plan that will systematically address all of our housing needs to ensure our campus is fully prepared to serve future students.

Sincerely,

Param Bedi
Vice President and Chief Operating Officer